"My purpose is to raise awareness of MS and to let people know that their financial support makes a difference in the lives of thousands of people," says Minerd, who is 49 and riding in the event for the first time.

Minerd will pedal 72 miles from San Antonio to New Braunfels on Oct. 3, then ride back 60 miles along a slightly different route on Oct. 4. More than 3,000 cyclists are expected to ride in the event.

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Among the cyclists who have registered so far, about a dozen have indicated they have MS, an incurable autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.

An estimated 20,000 Texas have been diagnosed with MS, and about 2.5 million people worldwide.

Minerd has relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form, characterized by periods of severe symptoms followed by periods of partial or complete recovery.

"She's taking charge of her future as best she can," says Tony Ralf, vice president of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's local office. "We got her a special jersey that says, 'I have MS. This is why I ride.' It's such an empowering statement. You're rubbing elbows with people who want to help you, but at the same time you're doing the same ride they are."

In 2001, a severe earache drove Minerd to a doctor, who ordered an MRI. The test revealed lesions in her brain, and she was experiencing dizziness, double vision, numbness, extreme fatigue and muscle spasms - common symptoms of MS.

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Still, it took two years for her doctor to diagnose the disease. When the diagnosis came, it was almost a relief.

"I felt, 'OK, now we know what it is. What are we going to do about it?'?" she says.

The Minerd family had experience staying positive in the face of illness.

Minerd's son, Tim, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in high school and underwent more than two years of chemotherapy. The cancer returned after he began college, around the time Minerd's doctor was working to diagnose her disease.

In her battle with MS, Minerd was inspired by her son's optimism (Tim is now 24 and cancer-free) and supported by her family - Tim; her husband, Doug; and her daughter, Kristen.

"When I had weird symptoms, they kept me active. They engaged me when I needed to be engaged," she said.

Minerd began volunteering at the local National Multiple Sclerosis Society office. But she was never able to ride in the bike event. Then her husband's job took the family to California.

In January, Minerd and her husband returned to San Antonio. Her symptoms are minimal now, possibly because of the MS drug Copaxone she's been taking for several years. In July, she decided she was ready to take on Bike MS.

She now trains with the group Ride Like a Girl, logging hundreds of miles around town on her Felt road bike.

"I'm having a blast. You get out and meet a lot of good people," she says.

Her MS isn't hampering her training. While she's sensitive to the heat, she's not sure it's due to her MS.

In fact, all the exercise has her feeling better than she has in a long time.

"I'm just lucky to be where I am. If you base it on what we know, it's unlikely that my state will continue at this level," she says. "It's a bit of an anomaly that I have made it past five years and haven't had more problems."

Minerd is raising funds as part of the Velo Valero team. Riders must pledge $300, but Minerd's goal is $2,500. (To contribute, go to main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/ritasriverride.)

She also serves in the Champions Against MS program, which connects riders with people living with the disease. As a bridge between the two groups, she says, she hopes to inspire others with MS.

"When I tell people I have MS and I'm riding, many of them are just astounded," she says. "I give hope for both sides that there is life beyond a diagnosis. Hope is big. Hope carries you a long, long way."